


the tenth hour.

by turnaboutcafe



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - Zombies, Angst, Angst and Feels, Blood, Childhood Friends, Childhood Trauma, Crying, Flashbacks, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mild Gore, Missions Gone Wrong, Zombie Apocalypse, Zombies, i planned this to be fluff help, it wasn't meant to be angst i swear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:54:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24433162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/turnaboutcafe/pseuds/turnaboutcafe
Summary: ”I’ll be with you, Iwa-chan!”Oikawa had childishly announced, smiling brightly at his best friend.”Until the very end.””Until the very end?””Forever.”If only Oikawa knew what forever really meant in a world of zombies and heartbreak.
Relationships: Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru
Comments: 6
Kudos: 39





	the tenth hour.

**Author's Note:**

> ok i swear this was supposed to be a funny, fluffy feel good fic but iT SPIRALED INTO THIS? SOMEONE SAVE ME FROM MY LAPTOP
> 
> tl;dr - the obligatory zombie apocalypse fic that no one asked for and no one ever reads :,)

“Oikawa, are you sure this is a good idea?” Iwaizumi asked, eyeing the abandoned building, suspicion simmering in his eyes. “That building’s too quiet.”

“All the better, isn’t it?” Oikawa asked, gripping his gun more tightly. “Silence means that there's less likelihood of anything being in there.”

“Oikawa has a point,” Hanamaki cut in, looking at Iwaizumi, gaze strong, reassuring. “We’re low on supplies, we have to get something if we want to get past tomorrow. This is the only building we haven’t been to, unless you want to go further up North.”

Despite Iwaizumi’s clear hesitance, he made no move to argue, sending them a curt nod. Slowly, they began their trek across the rubble, footsteps careful as they attempted to avoid the sharp rocks, eyes and ears completely alert, eyes sharp. Oikawa, gun still gripped tightly in hand, led the front of the group, eyes sharp as he scanned the abandoned building in front of them, muscles tense, flinching at every sound. 

The building was derelict, rubble surrounding it, dust clouding the air around it. Its walls were half painted and eroded by rain, some portions of it missing, as if a bomb had taken it out. The air was eerily silent, the only sound permeating it the footsteps they made across the mess of stone. Sunlight cut through the dust in the air, the heads of his other team members held down as they coughed and spluttered, cloths over their noses as they tried to avoid the dust and ash.

“When we get in, we split in teams of two,” Oikawa decided, addressing his team without even looking at them. “We’ll go in the usual pairs. Grab any food, water or essentials that you find. If there isn’t anything, don’t search, just leave and go back to the base. If you hear anything off, get out, and alert the team with the agreed signals. Does everyone understand?”

Oikawa’s orders were met with resounding murmurs, voices low as they tried to keep as silent as possible. Wiping his face, Oikawa grimaced at the mixture of sweat and dust layered on his face, wiping it away quickly. Beside him, Iwaizumi walked, large revolver in hand, gripped tightly, knuckles ghost white.

“Iwa-chan,” Oikawa murmured, “do you have enough ammo?”

“Should be,” Iwaizumi grunted, not meeting Oikawa’s eyes. “I doubt there’ll be anything inside the building anyway. Just get in, then get out. We’ll be fine.”

Iwaizumi’s words sounded more of a reassurance to himself than to Oikawa.

“Split up,” Oikawa ordered, another grunt from his teammates coming into the air as they split into their usual pairs, moving swiftly across the perimeter of the building, each of them securing a different entrance. Oikawa moved next to Iwaizumi, muscles tense as they approached the main entrance to the building, fingers numb from how tightly they held the grip of the gun. As they walked in, Oikawa instinctively raised his gun, blinking the dust away from his eyes, sharpening his vision in the darkness of the building. Beside him, Iwaizumi’s muscles tensed, holding his gun up in a similar fashion, hairs on the back of his necks risen.

The interior of the building was just as horrifying as the exterior.

The lights in the building were still dimly lit, yet the flickering of the lights gave off an eerie tension to the air, casting sudden shadows on the walls at every small movement they made. The windows of the building were completely shattered, pieces of glass scattered across the concrete floor of the building, slight traces of blood smeared on the floor. From several pipes water spurted, leaking onto the ground, permeating the concrete, dried blood working its way into the water.

“Upstairs?” Oikawa asked, looking uncertainly at Iwaizumi.

“Oikawa, there’s something not right with this place,” he cautioned, eyes quivering as they looked at him, the fear evident in them. “It’s too risky, we shouldn’t go up.”

“There are no supplies on the bottom floor, or at least from where I can see them,” Oikawa responded, voice low. “There isn’t anywhere we can go to except the upstairs.”

“Oikawa…”

Oikawa turned to him, meeting his friend’s eyes. They were fearful. “Iwa-chan, we’ll be fine. You have me next to you, nothing will happen.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust you, Oikawa,” Iwaizumi murmured. “This just doesn’t feel right. Something’s me that something’s wrong with this place.”

“Fine,” Oikawa resolved. “We’ll stay on the bottom floor.”

“If we don’t find anything, we’re out.”

Nodding slightly, Oikawa urged Iwaizumi forward, footsteps slow as he scanned his surroundings. The area was as typical as the places they had raided beforehand, the rubble a familiar sight. Picking through the large stones on the floor, Oikawa took careful steps, leading the forefront of the two, cautious as he stared ahead into the darkness of the hallway they were in, uncertainty crawling through his skin.

And then he heard a groan.

“Oikawa, in front of you!”

Whirling, Oikawa cocked his gun. In front of him, a mangled zombie stumbled towards him, blood dripping from rotten teeth, decayed face hanging onto bones. With precision, Oikawa took aim, a bullet ripping from his golden revolver, impaling straight into the undead’s chest, blood spurting from the rotting corpse. At the blow, a resounding sound reverberated through the air, Iwaizumi sending a scared look at Oikawa.

“What about the silencer?” Iwaizumi demanded. At his words, Oikawa looked down at his smoking gun, a sinking feeling worming its way down his stomach.

“Fuck.”

At the sound, more stumbled through the dark hallway, groans permeating the once silent air, blood flowing onto the ground as more undead stumbled into the hallway, groans loud and clear.

“Iwa-chan, out!”

Quickly, the two turned, running to the entrance. From around them, more groans sounded, more zombies stumbling into their sight. Cocking his gun again, Oikawa shot, sounds ringing through the air as he sank bullet after bullet into its craniums, blood spurting around him, staining his clothes. In front of him, Iwaizumi did the same, bullet shells flying as he reloaded his gun, shot after shot flying at the zombies in front of him. Adrenaline coursed through Oikawa as they ran, heart beating fast.

“Oikawa, the others are already out!” Iwaizumi called. “Come on!”

Legs burning, Oikawa continued his run, trailing closely behind Iwaizumi, turning back to send more bullets flying at the zombies chasing them, their pace quickly picking up as more continued the chase.

As they found their way back at the rubbled land they had gone through before entering the building, Oikawa grabbed Iwaizumi’s hand, urging him forward, misplaced shots ringing through the air as he made blow after blow at the zombies chasing them, their number only growing as the chase continued. Beside him, Iwaizumi stumbled momentarily, regaining his stance as Oikawa dragged him along, feet catching on the sharp stones of the land.

“Come on, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa gasped, blood beginning to trickle down where his legs had cut on stone. “Come on, we need to get back!”

Fear coursing through him, Oikawa continued his run, hand gripped tightly around Iwaizumi’s wrist, gun cocked, hand on the trigger. Finally, the sounds of groaning around them began to wane, the sky around them beginning to darken, the only sounds around them the gasps from him and Iwaizumi as they begged for air, lungs burning from the run. Beside him, Iwaizumi fell to the ground, gasping for air, chest heaving as he looked at Oikawa, eyes filled with fear.

“We need to,” Oikawa gasped, chest burning, “go back to the base.”

The walk back was painful, their breaths thin as they took steps towards the base, huffing with each step they took. In their hands, they still held their guns tight, gripping onto them as if their life depended on it, as if they would die if they held the pistols too loosely. Beside him, Iwaizumi’s face was pale, the fear on his face still evident in the way he tensed up at the slightest sound, and the way he held Oikawa’s wrist tightly every step of the way.

After what felt like hours, they finally found themselves back at the base, the area a dimly lit building they’d secured months ago. Around a smoldering fire sat Hanamaki and Matsukawa, heating the remains of the canned food they had in their store. The rest were covered in a mixture of ash and dust, debris plastered to their skin, trickles of sweat cutting through the blackened soot on their faces. Iwaizumi’s grip on his wrist loosened, stumbling forwards to the group, a gentle welcome coming in murmurs from the group as they began to gather around the fire.

“They’re getting smarter,” Hanamaki mumbled. “I didn’t expect that place to be infested; I thought it was safe.”

“Regretting our actions won’t bring us anywhere,” Matsukawa replied, gripping his friend’s shoulder, lingering slightly, as if to comfort him. “All we can do is figure out the next place we have to raid for supplies.”

“How long more will the supplies last?” Oikawa asked, settling beside them. “Mattsun?”

“Around 3 days, give or take,” he murmured, settling the remaining canned food beside him. “I don’t think it’ll last much longer than that. Our water supply will last us five, as long as we don’t use it for cleaning up. Each of us can only have under a litre a day.”

A silence brewed over them, the desperation of the situation evident in the cold air. Iwaizumi moved closer to the fire, warming himself with outstretched hands, flames close to burning him. Oikawa deposited the pistol from his belt onto the ground, hand still protectively gripped onto the handle, ghosting its grip.

“I suppose we have to scout up North,” Oikawa decided. “It’s the only place we can go to for supplies.”

“We’ve gone as far as we can in all directions, Oikawa,” Iwaizumi pointed out, grunting as he moved himself closer to the fire. “I don’t think we can go much further up north without abandoning the base altogether. For all we know, there could be no other safe base in that direction.”

“That’s a risk we have to take,” Oikawa murmured, looking at the rest of the group. “We can’t do anything else other than more North. There’s word that it’s the safest place we could go to, and staying in a safe base means nothing if we’re incapable of surviving in it.”

“Oikawa has a point,” Hanamaki nodded. “There’s no point in staying here if the chances of our survival only dwindles.”

The rest of the group murmured in unison, gathered around the fire as Hanamaki passed around their remaining rations of canned food, saying their thanks before they began to chew on the gamey turkey meat. Iwaizumi bit at his food hesitantly, face screwing up before he placed the meat back into the can, a dark look coming over his face.

“Are you okay, Iwa-chan?” Oikawa asked, mouth full of cold turkey. “Why aren’t you eating?”

“Sorry,” Iwaizumi replied, shaking his head, shutting his eyes before reopening them. “Sorry, it’s nothing.”

Oikawa nodded, turning back to his turkey. As he chewed, he observed the group around him, hunched near the campfire, faces blackened from the derelict building they’d entered, none of them making any effort to wash their faces from the ordeal. Continuing his chewing of the turkey, Oikawa turned around, eyebrows knitting together in concern. Iwaizumi had barely touched his food, and was making no move to eating it.

“Iwaizumi, are you okay?”

Iwaizumi gave no response, only casting a dark look at the fire in front of them.

“Iwaizumi,” Hanamaki murmured. “Iwaizumi, are you okay?”

“Roll up your sleeves, Iwaizumi,” Matsukawa murmured. “Iwaizumi, roll up your sleeves.”

“What?” Oikawa murmured, looking at his friends. “Mattsun, you can’t be serious, right? Makki?”

“It’s just a precaution, Oikawa,” Hanamaki responded, eyes dark. “We can’t risk anything, especially after what just happened. Iwaizumi, roll up your sleeves.”

With shaking hands, Iwaizumi nodded, pulling up the sleeves of his shirt, peeling them off the skin. Oikawa observed the tan skin, hand gripped onto his pistol tightly, fear coming through him as he watched his friend peel the dampened shirt from his skin, heart racing. As Iwaizumi pulled away the fabric, a purplish mark showed itself, skin blackened and rotten, eating away at the healthy, tan skin.

“Stand back!” Hanamaki ordered, cocking his pistol, bracing himself defensively as he pointed the gun at Iwaizumi. At his order, the group moved behind him, eyes filled with fear as they looked at Iwaizumi, Matsukawa stood beside Hanamaki, jagged hunting knife in hand. Oikawa froze, his grip on his pistol tightening, eyes unwavering as he stared at Iwaizumi, the dark mark on his skin pulsating.

“Oikawa, get back!” Matsukawa ordered, tugging at his shoulder harshly.

“Stop,” Oikawa murmured, standing up, limbs quavering. “Iwa-chan?”

“I didn’t know,” Iwaizumi murmured, eyes fixed on the ground. “I didn’t know. I swear I didn’t know!”

“Oikawa,” Hanamaki murmured, gripping his shoulder. “Oikawa, get a hold of yourself. In less than ten hours, that won’t be Iwaizumi.”

Oikawa stood, fist clenched as he stared at Iwaizumi, poison washing over him as he watched his friend, helpless as he stood there, unable to do anything as the group watched him with fear in their eyes, each of their guns trained on him. Iwaizumi looked at him with desperation, gunmetal eyes locking into his, a silent cry for help, fear pulsating in the gaze.

“Oikawa,” Matsukawa murmured. “Oikawa, we have to do it.”

“You’re not killing Iwa-chan,” Oikawa mumbled, eyes glassy, stumbling as he stood in between the group and Iwaizumi, raising his own revolver at them. “You’re not killing Iwa-chan.”

“Get a grip on yourself, Oikawa,” Matsukawa murmured, eyes torn as conflict twisted on his face. “Oikawa, he’s bitten, you saw it for yourself.”

“You can’t kill him!” Oikawa cried, voice desperate. “You can’t kill Iwa-chan!”

His eyes trailed to the rest of the group, hopelessness burrowing in him as he met their cold gazs, weapons still raised as they stared at Iwaizumi, no remorse in their frigid gazes, trained on Iwaizumi.

“Oikawa—”

“You can’t kill him!” Oikawa yelled, tears beginning to shine in his eyes. “Iwa-chan is the one who brought us through everything. He’s the one who’s gone on one man missions to bring us food because it was too risky for more than one person to go. He’s done everything for us; you can’t kill him!”

“Oikawa, if we don’t do it now, he won’t be Iwaizumi any longer,” Hanamaki shouted, staring at him harshly, voice cracking in pain. “Don’t you get it? Iwaizumi has done many things for us, yes, but it doesn’t change the fact that he’s going to turn, whether you like it or not!”

“But we can’t kill him!” 

At his words, knuckles met his face. His hand flew up to his cheekbone, wincing as he felt blood stain his fingers. In front of him, Matsukawa looked coldly down at him, frustration shining in his glassy eyes as he looked at Oikawa.

“You act like we don’t care about what he’s done for us,” Matsukawa murmurd. “But we do, and that’s why we have to do this, Oikawa. Iwaizumi wouldn’t want you to let him go on and become… whatever they are!”

“But we can’t kill him,” Oikawa murmured, tears cutting lines in his ash covered face. “Mattsun, we can’t kill him. Please.”

Conflict twisted over Matsukawa’s face as his gaze moved between Iwaizumi and Oikawa, Hanamaki gripping his wrist as he trained his weapon on both of them. Oikawa’s throat constricted as he watched them both, conflict flitting across their face as they continued to stare, eyes glassy.

“He has 10 hours before he turns,” Matsukawa murmured. “Give or take. We’ll take care of this in the morning. Oikawa… use that time however you wish, but the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.”

Oikawa nodded, biting his lip harshly, watching as his team brought Iwaizumi away, wary as they surrounded him, pushing him into a secluded room in the base, barricading the door tightly. As Hanamaki confirmed the security of the door, the rest of the members seemed to heave a held breath, returning back to their sleeping areas, not another thought spared for Iwaizumi, trapped alone behind the barricaded door.

“Come on, Oikawa,” Matsukawa prompted, face steely as he stared at him. “We have to rest up. You don’t have to be the one who… does it. One of us can, we won’t force you to.”

Silently, Oikawa nodded, chest tight as he crawled into his sleeping bag, zipping up the thin fabric over himself, teeth clenched. As the lights dimmed and the fires were put out, Oikawa could barely make out the shapes of the objects within the room in the darkness, but after moments, his eyes adjusted. Faintly, he could make out the shapes of the room’s features, the sharp curve of their supplies cupboard, the light peeking out of several other rooms sticking out to him instantaneously. Beside him, Hanamaki was curled up in his own sleeping back, murmuring several words as he snored, restless even in his sleep. By his side, Oikawa kept his gun, hands tensed, as if he was going to attack at any moment. 

The night was restless, Oikawa tossing and turning in the small cot he’d salvaged from a raid long ago, unable to look past the glowing light from the barricaded room. There was no sound from behind the door, no attempts to break the barrier evident. As Oikawa shut his eyes, blocking the room from vision, his heart only clenched tighter.

Through the darkness, he saw him and Iwaizumi as children, neighbors, playing in the park just outside their house, happy as they caught bugs in the emerald grass, tossing up volleyballs in the air, clumsily receiving them. He saw them going to school together, the familiar path they took everyday ingrained into his mind like a stone palimpsest, etched in his mind like the back of his hand. As wetness dripped down his cheeks, he smiled as he watched the memory play before him. A good time.

A time before the whole mess had begun.

A time when they were happy.

As he opened his eyes, the memory quickly washed itself away, darkness overwhelming him again as he found himself back in the dark base. Gripping the thin fabric of his sleeping bag, Oikawa heaved himself up, a slight groan escaping his lips as he did. Slowly, he unzipped the sleeping bag, as silent as he possibly could be, slipping out of the comfortable warmth. Slowly, Oikawa moved towards the barricaded door, touching the wood that barricaded it, fingers feathering across the wood.

_I wonder if Iwa-chan remembers._

Slowly, Oikawa tapped a pattern onto the wood, mind straining as he tried to remember the letters he had learned so long ago, rhythm strong as he tapped the door, heart hopeful as he waited for a response.

_Please remember, Iwa-chan. Please, please—_

Taps responded to his, the familiar, strong taps Oikawa was so used to hearing. It was the taps they used to communicate so long ago, the taps they’d learned to talk to each other even through the high fence of their backyards, the taps that left their parents wondering why they sat in their own yards for hours until dark, tapping at the wooden fence endlessly.

“Oikawa?” Iwaizumi’s voice murmured, strong through the wood. “Go to sleep.”

“I can’t, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa mumbled, fingers pressed against the wood. “They’re going to kill you.”

“As they should,” Iwaizumi replied, voice quavering slightly, despite the strength he tried to hold behind it. “It’s okay, Oikawa. It’ll be fine. You’ll be fine. Everyone will be fine, okay?”

“But…” Oikawa mumbled, the wetness returning to his cheeks, “you won’t. You won’t be okay, Iwa-chan.”

“It was my fault,” Iwaizumi soothed. “It was my fault. I wasn’t careful enough, okay? It was my fault, I’ll pay for my mistakes. You’ll be fine, Oikawa. You’ll be just fine. You’ll find the cure, you’ll keep everyone safe, alright?”

“But I won’t be fine, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa choked, throat tightening. “I won’t be fine. How can I be fine without you?”

“You’ll be fine,” Iwaizumi mumbled, words catching in his throat. “You’ll be just fine, Tooru.”

“Iwa-chan, you can’t stay. They’ll kill you.”

“They should,” Iwaizumi soothed, fear devoid from his voice. “It’ll be alright, Tooru. You don’t have to look. You don’t even have to wake up. You just have to sleep. It’ll just be like when I went to the training camp all by myself, yeah? You’ll sleep, and when you wake up, you won’t have to think about me. We’ll meet again, we’ll meet again, Tooru. Death doesn’t mean forever.”

“You don’t know that, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa mumbled. “You don’t know that. You don’t know what death means. What if death means forever?”

“It doesn’t, Tooru. It doesn’t, okay?” Iwaizumi choked. “The universe just happened to play out like this, Tooru. I wish it gave me a last goodbye.”

“This isn’t goodbye, Iwa-chan!” Oikawa insisted, words betraying the clenching of his heart. “This isn’t goodbye. You’ll be fine, Iwa-chan. You’ll be fine. You won’t leave!”

“Oikawa,” Iwaizumi mumbled, “fate has already chosen. You can’t change its decision.”

“Why can’t I?” Oikawa cried, voice breaking. “Why can’t I fucking do anything?”

“You’ve done enough, Tooru,” Iwaizumi mumbled. “You’ll be fine, Tooru. Just go to sleep, and this nightmare will be over. It’ll be all over. All I would wish for is to hug you one last time, but even one last time feels like too much.”

“Iwa-chan,” Oikawa mumbled, “we can hug one last time. We can, Iwa-chan.”

“Oikawa,” Iwaizumi cautioned. “Don’t. Just don’t.”

“There’s nothing stopping us. There’s nothing in between us. All I need to do is pull the barricade.”

“The barricade is there to protect you, Oikawa,” Iwaizumi retorted, voice concerned. “Oikawa, don’t move that barricade; don’t you dare go within an inch of it.”

“What use is it if it can’t protect me from my own heart?”

“Oikawa—”

With a heave, Oikawa pushed the barrier away, opening the door. Behind the door, Iwaizumi scrambled up, backing away from Oikawa, eyes wild as he stared at him. His skin had paled to an ashen color, the darkness in his arm spreading up to his neck, veins black, devoid of their usual fleshy tone.

“Oikawa, what are you doing?” Iwaizumi demanded, fear tinting his eyes as he stared at Oikawa. “But the barricade back, you’re going to kill someone!”

“It’ll only kill someone if we stay here, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa insisted, hand extended towards Iwaizumi. “We can run.”

“Oikawa, I can’t.”

“Please, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa pleaded, voice breaking as wet tears trickled down his cheeks. “Please. One last time.”

“You can’t—”

“Let’s look at the sun rise,” Oikawa begged, a pained smile cracking itself through the tears. “Let’s look at the sun like we always did when we were kids.”

“Oikawa—”

“Please let me forget this nightmare.”

Hesitantly, Iwaizumi took a step forward, eyes fearful as he took Oikawa’s hand in his own, limbs shaking. Slowly, they crept out of the base, hands intertwined. Iwaizumi’s hand was cold, fingers rigid as they held Oikawa’s, fear evident in his eyes. Still, Oikawa grasped his cold hand firmly, tugging him out of the base silently. 

The sun was beginning to peek from beneath dilapidated buildings, rays of light emitted from behind broken walls, sky lightening, a breathtaking gradient of purples and oranges rising in the sky, stars chased away by the light. As the light continued to rise in the sky, Iwaizumi tensed, steps rigid as they continued their trek across the rubble, uncertain as they walked through. Oikawa’s heart raced as they walked in between broken buildings, weaving behind columns, eyes alert despite the contentment sitting within him, ears still pricked for unnatural sounds.

As they continued their walk, silence fell across the both of them, eyes fixed on the sunrise in front of them, lighting up the sky. The scene tugged at Oikawa’s heart, one he remembered so accurately, one he saw everyday with Iwaizumi. He remembered racing to Iwaizumi’s house every morning, his friend already waiting in the backyard with blankets, the two of them hidden under the cozy covers, staring at the sky in awe. When the sun finally began to rise, they cheered, rushing back home for breakfast, before coming back for their next adventure. It had been that way for years.

Until it was all taken away.

As he held Iwaizumi’s hand, he found himself spiraling, spiraling back to the day the end befell them all. The day he ran to Iwaizumi’s house, tears blurring his vision, his friend covered in blood, revolver in hand as he stood above the body of his dead parents, their skin ashy and dark. He remembered clutching Iwaizumi’s hand as his friend soothed him, embracing him tightly as endless tears spilled down his face, as they held each other tightly, eyes shut as they willed the nightmare to end.

But it didn’t.

The nightmare only lived on, thriving as time passed. They found solace in numbers, yet every day was a test of luck. It was a test of how long they could survive out in the open, how long they could last without civilization, without dependency on others. As the days went on, the numbers only dwindled, the group cut down in half in the face of failed missions, ammo and supplies quickly running low as they continued their fight for survival, as they continued their fight for their last breath.

Oikawa had never felt tears during the executions. He only felt coldness as he raised the revolver to the bittens’ heads, gunshot rippling through the air before he had a single moment to consider anything. As the group cleaned up the blood, Oikawa never found himself overthinking. He only found himself cold, Iwaizumi’s hand gripping his shoulder, soothing him through his clenched heart, murmuring words of comfort as he watched the body be taken away.

He’d always done what was necessary without question.

And yet, here he was, hand held with a bitten, staring at the sun from the shelter of a crumbling building, a fond smile on his face as he watched his friend, bathed in the golden light. He smiled as he traced the lines of Iwaizumi’s face with his eyes, memorizing everything, committing everything to his heart. He memorized the sharp nose, the pronounced forehead, the knitted eyebrows, the serious face. He memorized the smile Iwaizumi always had, the fond one on his face every time Oikawa pulled him close through the sleeping bags. He memorized Iwaizumi’s scent, comfortable, familiar to him, even amidst the acrid tang of debilitated buildings. He memorized everything he could about Iwaizumi, memorized it by heart.

Because one day, he wouldn’t be able to.

“Oikawa,” Iwaizumi spoke, cutting the silence. “You didn’t bring me here to look at the sunset, did you?”

“Is there anything wrong with a little reminiscing?” Oikawa asked, forcing a smile on his face. “I’ll miss my best friend.”

“Oikawa. You know it’ll happen.”

Oikawa stared at him, eyes watering, vision blurring.

“Oikawa, please don’t make this any harder,” Iwaizumi whispered. His hand travelled to the revolver at his belt, pressing the cold gun into Oikawa’s palm. “Please.”

“Iwa-chan,” Oikawa mumbled, staring down at the revolver, “you know I can’t.”

“Oikawa, we’ve talked about this,” Iwaizumi replied, voice a whisper. “We said it the very first day this all happened. Oikawa, you promised.”

Oikawa cursed himself for having done so.

_”Never let me live if I get bitten.”_

He remembered them, standing in Iwaizumi’s house, bodies held tight against each other, fear pulsing through him. He recalled every last word Iwaizumi had said as he forced Oikawa to promise him, to promise him that he would follow through, to promise him that he would never let Iwaizumi turn.

_”I would never, Iwa-chan.”_

Oikawa cursed himself. Those words had slipped his mouth without his thinking. He thought he would never have to. He thought Iwa-chan would never get bitten. He thought he wouldn’t ever have to. He thought he would never have to kill him.

He thought fate would never let him.

“I can’t, Iwa-chan. I can’t!”

“Oikawa, please,” Iwaizumi mumbled, taking Oikawa’s hands in his own. “Please.”

“What’s the point in me living if you don’t, Iwa-chan?” Oikawa mumbled, eyes glassy as he stared into Iwaizumi’s concerned ones. “What’s the point of this all if I can’t go with you?”

“Oikawa, you have the rest of your life ahead of you. I don’t.”

“But what if my life was determined by you, too? Iwa-chan, what’s the point in living if I don’t want to live anymore?”

Iwaizumi gripped both his hands tight. “Oikawa, you have to lead the team. You have to keep them safe. Makki, Mattsun, Watari, everyone — you have to keep them safe. You have to keep them safe for me; please. Please just do it now, Tooru.”

Oikawa stared at the pistol in his hands, eyes dragging back up to Iwaizumi, tears running down his cheeks, hand trembling as it held the weapon. Iwaizumi’s skin had turned ashier, bloodshot eyes red as they stared at Oikawa, glassy with tears. Iwaizumi’s lips quivered, eyes shutting as Oikawa brought the gun to his chest.

“Oikawa, please,” Iwaizumi begged. “Now. Do it now.”

“Iwa-chan—”

“The tenth hour is almost over!” Iwaizumi cried, voice trembling, darting to the rising light. “Please. Please just do it!”

Oikawa held the gun, hands trembling as he pressed it into Iwaizumi’s chest. It dug into his shirt, heavy as he tried to keep it steady. Iwaizumi’s face continued to pale as the sun began to rise, veins darkening as the bite reached its final stages.

“Please Tooru.”

Oikawa trembled. “I’m sorry, Iwa-chan.”

As Iwaizumi turned, Oikawa cast the gun to the side. Oikawa fell over as Iwaizumi launched himself at him, eyes feral as he bared rotting teeth at him, growling as he tore at skin, blood gushing from Oikawa’s throat, sticky red dripping down his skin. Oikawa could feel none of it as he stared at Iwaizumi, eyes watering, screams escaping from his lips as wounds continued to rip through him, ears ringing, pain numbed as he stared at Iwaizumi.

As Oikawa shut his eyes, darkness consuming him, he saw him and Iwaizumi. He saw them in the park, hands held as they licked ice cream cones, childish banter flitting between them, hitting each other gently as they ran around the park, ice cream precariously balanced. He could see Iwaizumi’s smile as they sat on the swing, side by side, swinging in time to the chirping birds.

 _”I’ll be with you, Iwa-chan!”_ Oikawa had childishly announced, smiling brightly at his best friend. _”Until the very end.”_

_”Until the very end?”_

_”Forever.”_

As Oikawa slipped into his final moments, his mouth pressed itself into a thin, watery smile.

Until the very end.

_I love you, Iwa-chan._

And darkness was all that was left.

**Author's Note:**

> i hope you enjoyed it!! i legit got freaked out while writing this at night (because i am the biggest coward) so it took a lot of bravery on my part to finish this :,)
> 
> if you liked it, please do consider leaving a kudos and comment, it would make my day <3


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